Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100158435 | SIDE-HOLE CANE WAVEGUIDE SENSOR - A side-hole optical cane for measuring pressure and/or temperature is disclosed. The side-hole cane has a light guiding core containing a sensor and a cladding containing symmetrical side-holes extending substantially parallel to the core. The side-holes cause an asymmetric stress across the core of the sensor creating a birefringent sensor. The sensor, preferably a Bragg grating, reflects a first and second wavelength each associated with orthogonal polarization vectors, wherein the degree of separation between the two is proportional to the pressure exerted on the core. The side-hole cane structure self-compensates and is insensitive to temperature variations when used as a pressure sensor, because temperature induces an equal shift in both the first and second wavelengths. Furthermore, the magnitude of these shifts can be monitored to deduce temperature, hence providing the side-hole cane additional temperature sensing capability that is unaffected by pressure. Additionally, the side-hole cane can be used to measure a differential pressure between a first pressure ported to the side-holes and a second external pressure. | 06-24-2010 |
20110116099 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING PRESSURE SIGNALS - An apparatus for detecting data in a fluid pressure signal in a conduit comprises an optical fiber loop comprises a measurement section and a delay section wherein the measurement section is disposed substantially circumferentially around at least a portion of the conduit, and wherein the measurement section changes length in response to the fluid pressure signal in the conduit. A light source injects a first optical signal in a first direction into the measurement section and a second optical signal in a second direction opposite the first direction into the delay section. An optical detector senses an interference phase shift between the first optical signal and the second optical signal and outputs a first signal related thereto. | 05-19-2011 |
20110308788 | CONTROLLING WELL OPERATIONS BASED ON MONITORED PARAMETERS OF CEMENT HEALTH - A method of controlling a well operation can include monitoring at least one parameter of cement lining a wellbore, the monitoring being performed via at least one optical waveguide, and modifying the well operation in response to the parameter being outside of a predetermined acceptable range. A well monitoring system can include at least one optical waveguide which is used to sense at least one parameter of cement lining a wellbore, an optical interrogation system optically connected to the at least one optical waveguide, and a control system which controls operation of at least one item of well equipment in response to information received from the optical interrogation system. | 12-22-2011 |
20120013893 | COMMUNICATION THROUGH AN ENCLOSURE OF A LINE - A communication system can include a transmitter which transmits a signal, and at least one sensing device which receives the signal, the sensing device including a line contained in an enclosure, and the signal being detected by the line through a material of the enclosure. A sensing system can include at least one sensor which senses a parameter, at least one sensing device which receives an indication of the parameter, the sensing device including a line contained in an enclosure, and a transmitter which transmits the indication of the parameter to the line through a material of the enclosure. Another sensing system can include an object which displaces in a subterranean well. At least one sensing device can receive a signal from the object. The sensing device can include a line contained in an enclosure, and the signal can be detected by the line through a material of the enclosure. | 01-19-2012 |
20120205103 | Cement Slurry Monitoring - Various disclosed cement slurry monitoring methods include monitoring one or more parameter of the cement slurry at various positions along the borehole during the curing process and responsively identifying a span over which the slurry extends and whether there are any gaps or voids in that span. At least some system embodiments include a distributed sensing arrangement to provide parameter measurements as a function of position and time during the curing process. A computer analyzes the measurements to determine the span of the cement slurry and whether any gaps exist. Contemplated measurement parameters include temperature, pressure, strain, acoustic spectrum, acoustic coupling, and chemical concentration. Individually or in combination, these measurements can reveal in real time the state of the cement slurry and can enable remedial actions to be taken during or after the curing process if needed to address deficiencies in the annular seal being provided by the cement. | 08-16-2012 |
20120257475 | Optical Fiber Based Downhole Seismic Sensor Systems and Methods - Various optical fiber-based seismic monitoring system embodiments include a light source that drives an optical fiber positioned within a borehole. At least one light sensor analyzes Rayleigh backscattered light to obtain an acoustic signal for each of multiple points along the borehole. One or more processors operate to determine microseismic event direction, distance, and/or intensity based at least in part on phase information of said acoustic signals. The acoustic signal cross-correlations, semblances, or phase-sensitive similarity measures can be determined as a function of scanning direction to accurately determine the relevant microseismic event information. The optical fiber may be positioned in the cemented annulus of a cased borehole having a shape that extends along more than one dimension (e.g., an L-shaped borehole). | 10-11-2012 |
20130056197 | OPTICAL CASING COLLAR LOCATOR SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Disclosed are fiber optic enabled casing collar locator systems including a wireline sonde or a coil tubing sonde apparatus configured to be conveyed through a casing string by a fiber optic cable. The sonde includes at least one permanent magnet producing a magnetic field that changes in response to passing a collar in the casing string. Such magnetic field changes induce voltages changes within associated pick-up electrical coil conductors. Some embodiments include a cylinder configured to change its diameter in response to the changes in the magnetic field and/or impressed voltage, and an optical fiber wound around the cylinder to convert the cylinder diameter change into an optical path length change for light being communicated along the fiber optic cable. The cylinder may include a magnetostrictive material or a piezoelectric material. | 03-07-2013 |
20130056202 | Optical Casing Collar Locator Systems and Methods - Fiber optic enabled casing collar locator systems and methods include a wireline sonde or a coil tubing sonde apparatus configured to be conveyed through a casing string by a fiber optic cable. The sonde includes at least one permanent magnet producing a magnetic field that changes in response to passing a collar in the casing string, a coil that receives at least a portion of the magnetic field and provides an electrical signal in response to the changes in the magnetic field, and a light source that responds to the electrical signal to communicate light along an optical fiber to indicate passing collars. | 03-07-2013 |
20130245947 | DOWNHOLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WATER SOURCE DETERMINATION - A disclosed system for determining sources of water in a downhole fluid includes one or more downhole sensors that measure at least one analyte concentration in the downhole fluid, and a computer having analyte concentration characteristics for water from multiple sources. The computer uses the analyte concentration characteristics and the at least one analyte concentration measurement to determine an amount of water from at least one given source. A described method for determining sources of water in a downhole fluid includes associating with each of multiple sources of water a characteristic concentration of at least one analyte, obtaining measured concentrations of the at least one analyte with one or more downhole sensors, and deriving for at least one source of water a fraction of the downhole fluid attributable to that at least one source. The deriving may also be based upon measurements from distributed pressure and/or temperature sensors. | 09-19-2013 |
20130249705 | CASING COLLAR LOCATOR WITH WIRELESS TELEMETRY SUPPORT - Disclosed are wireline tool systems including a casing collar locator tool and one or more logging tool(s). The logging tool(s) collects information regarding a formation property or a physical condition downhole, and produces a modulated magnetic field to communicate at least some of the collected information. The casing collar locator tool includes a light source and a sensor. The light source transmits light along an optical fiber in accordance with a sensor signal. The sensor produces the sensor signal in response to magnetic field changes attributable to passing collars in a casing string, and to the modulated magnetic field produced by the logging tool(s). Related telemetry methods are also described. | 09-26-2013 |
20140111348 | Downhole Time Domain Reflectometry with Optical Components - A disclosed system for downhole time domain reflectometry (TDR) includes a surface electro-optical interface, a downhole electro-optical interface, a fiber-optic cable that couples the surface electro-optical interface and the downhole electro-optical interface, and an electrical transmission line that extends from the downhole electro-optical interface into a wellbore environment to enable TDR operations. A described method for downhole TDR includes transmitting an optical signal to a downhole environment, converting the optical signal to an electrical signal in the downhole environment, reflecting the electrical signal using an electrical transmission line in the downhole environment, analyzing data corresponding to the reflected electrical signal, and displaying a result of the analysis. | 04-24-2014 |
20140172302 | Downhole Treatment Monitoring Systems and Methods Using Ion Selective Fiber Sensors - A disclosed system includes a plurality of ion selective fiber sensors configured to measure treatment concentration variance, and a computer in communication with the plurality of ion selective fiber sensors. The computer determines treatment coverage for different downhole zones using information received from the plurality of ion selective fiber sensors. A disclosed method includes collecting data from a plurality of ion selective fiber sensors configured to measure treatment concentration variance. The method also includes determining treatment coverage for different downhole zones using information received from the plurality of ion selective fiber sensors. A disclosed downhole treatment management system includes a data analysis unit that collects data from a plurality of downhole ion selective fiber sensors configured to measure treatment concentration variance, and that determines treatment coverage for different downhole zones using the collected data. The downhole treatment management system also includes a treatment control interface in communication with the data analysis unit. The treatment control interface updates treatment operations using treatment coverage information determined by the data analysis unit. | 06-19-2014 |
20140175272 | Remote Work Methods and Systems Using Nonlinear Light Conversion - A disclosed remote work system includes a light source and a nonlinear converter optically coupled to and remote from the light source. The nonlinear light converter converts a narrowband light pulse received from the light source to a converted spectrum light pulse. The system also includes a work element coupled to the nonlinear light converter. The work element performs a work operation using the converted spectrum light pulse. A related remote work method includes generating a narrowband light pulse and conveying the narrowband light pulse to a remote location. The method also includes converting the narrowband light pulse to a converted spectrum light pulse at the remote location. The method also includes performing a sense operation or work operation at the remote location using the converted spectrum light pulse. | 06-26-2014 |
20140180592 | Downhole Fluid Tracking With Distributed Acoustic Sensing - Various disclosed distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) based systems and methods include embodiments that process the DAS measurements to detect one or more contrasts in acoustic signatures associated with one or more fluids flowing along a tubing string, and determine positions of the one or more contrasts as a function of time. The detected contrasts may be changes in acoustic signatures arising from one or more of: turbulence, frictional noise, acoustic attenuation, acoustic coupling, resonance frequency, resonance damping, and active noise generation by entrained materials. At least some of the contrasts correspond to interfaces between different fluids such as those that might be pumped during a cementing operation. Certain other method embodiments include acquiring DAS measurements along a borehole, processing the measurements to detect one or more acoustic signature contrasts associated with interfaces between different fluids in the borehole, and responsively displaying a position of at least one of said interfaces. | 06-26-2014 |
20140219056 | FIBEROPTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACOUSTIC TELEMETRY - A disclosed acoustic telemetry system includes a downhole acoustic telemetry module that generates an acoustic uplink signal such as a pulsed fluid flow or compressional waves in a tubing string wall. An optical waveguide transports an optical signal representing the acoustic uplink signal to the surface interface. A related telemetry method includes acquiring measurements downhole, transmitting the measurements in the form of an acoustic signal, and sensing the acoustic signal via an optical waveguide. | 08-07-2014 |